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Accuphase..................not a well known brand to most of us in North America. Well, if people had a chance to hear the Accuphase brand, that would surely change.
I've been living with the P-6100 stereo amp for the last 3 days. It has been an eye opening experience to say the least. I'll cut to the final conclusion. The Accuphase P-6100 is hands down the best amp I've ever heard with the Salon 2's ! Now in case you're wondering,I've listened to the following amps with the Salon 2's. Mc 402, Mc 501's, Mark Levinson #53's, Anthem D1's, Parasound JC 1's, Solution 710, Classe' CA M 600's, D'Agostino Stereo, EAR 890 tube, VAC 160i, and the Bryston 28B SST. I might have forgotten 1 or 2 more.
How to describe what I'm hearing is harder for me to explain, but I'll try my best. The 6100 is the complete amp. I've been trying for 3 days to find something that's a deal breaker, but I can't find it. The 6100 is giving me everything I was looking for. Huge soundstage,more depth than I've had before, a more holographic presentation. It has an uncanny way of bringing instruments forward that were somehow lost in the mix before. The vocals are pure,and hold their own space in the mix,even while the soundstage is filled with the newly found instruments. Tonal quality is spot on. Very neutral , but not clinical in any way. Maybe just on the warm side, but not really. It's really hard to pin down. I guess "realistic" would be the best term. The bass is amazing, powerful, fast, tight, punchy...............Perfect ? No, nothings perfect, but it's damn close. The highs are just exactly what I'm wanting. Not rolled off, but sweet in a realistic way.
This amp does some other things that I've never seen before in my system. I thought I knew what good dynamics were, I didn't. I use a Radioshack SPL meter to make sure I'm not playing my music too loud. Always, when listening to pop or rock recordings, my SPL meter kind of hovers around the same reading. In other words, it doesn't jump much. Well, it does now. The changes in the level of SPL's is wild. Huge dynamic swings on music I figure was pretty compressed before !! It's really wild !!
People have called Accuphase "The Japanese McIntosh ". Now I love McIntosh. And I've owned several Mc amps, and loved them. But honestly, that's unfair to Accuphase. The sound quality and the build quality are much closer to Sonus Faber or Ferrari !! You simply can't judge the looks and feel of Accphase gear by looking at pictures. I swear it's true. This stuff isn't made, it's created !!
Now in case you're wondering what I'm going to do. I have some decisions to make. My wife will be retiring in the next year or so and I have only so much I can spend on any changes in my system. That being said, the only thing holding me back on buying a 6100 is that I "HAVE" to hear the Magico S series at Davids before I know what my plan is. If I decide to stay with the Salon 2's I'll buy an Accuphase P-6100. Honestly, it might be the best amplifier I've ever heard. Period.
Special thanks to David Baskin @ Design Audio Video for the loan of the 6100 !!!!!!!
If anyone is interested in Accuphase please PM Baskinshaw. Thats David's handle here at AS !!!!
I've been living with the P-6100 stereo amp for the last 3 days. It has been an eye opening experience to say the least. I'll cut to the final conclusion. The Accuphase P-6100 is hands down the best amp I've ever heard with the Salon 2's ! Now in case you're wondering,I've listened to the following amps with the Salon 2's. Mc 402, Mc 501's, Mark Levinson #53's, Anthem D1's, Parasound JC 1's, Solution 710, Classe' CA M 600's, D'Agostino Stereo, EAR 890 tube, VAC 160i, and the Bryston 28B SST. I might have forgotten 1 or 2 more.
How to describe what I'm hearing is harder for me to explain, but I'll try my best. The 6100 is the complete amp. I've been trying for 3 days to find something that's a deal breaker, but I can't find it. The 6100 is giving me everything I was looking for. Huge soundstage,more depth than I've had before, a more holographic presentation. It has an uncanny way of bringing instruments forward that were somehow lost in the mix before. The vocals are pure,and hold their own space in the mix,even while the soundstage is filled with the newly found instruments. Tonal quality is spot on. Very neutral , but not clinical in any way. Maybe just on the warm side, but not really. It's really hard to pin down. I guess "realistic" would be the best term. The bass is amazing, powerful, fast, tight, punchy...............Perfect ? No, nothings perfect, but it's damn close. The highs are just exactly what I'm wanting. Not rolled off, but sweet in a realistic way.
This amp does some other things that I've never seen before in my system. I thought I knew what good dynamics were, I didn't. I use a Radioshack SPL meter to make sure I'm not playing my music too loud. Always, when listening to pop or rock recordings, my SPL meter kind of hovers around the same reading. In other words, it doesn't jump much. Well, it does now. The changes in the level of SPL's is wild. Huge dynamic swings on music I figure was pretty compressed before !! It's really wild !!
People have called Accuphase "The Japanese McIntosh ". Now I love McIntosh. And I've owned several Mc amps, and loved them. But honestly, that's unfair to Accuphase. The sound quality and the build quality are much closer to Sonus Faber or Ferrari !! You simply can't judge the looks and feel of Accphase gear by looking at pictures. I swear it's true. This stuff isn't made, it's created !!
Now in case you're wondering what I'm going to do. I have some decisions to make. My wife will be retiring in the next year or so and I have only so much I can spend on any changes in my system. That being said, the only thing holding me back on buying a 6100 is that I "HAVE" to hear the Magico S series at Davids before I know what my plan is. If I decide to stay with the Salon 2's I'll buy an Accuphase P-6100. Honestly, it might be the best amplifier I've ever heard. Period.
Special thanks to David Baskin @ Design Audio Video for the loan of the 6100 !!!!!!!
If anyone is interested in Accuphase please PM Baskinshaw. Thats David's handle here at AS !!!!
